Reviewer Prefers Latest 'G.I. Joe' Film to the First

Wednesday

Apr 3, 2013 at 4:55 PM

Like many action movies today, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" is high on flash, but low on substance. If you've seen the first one, "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra," you know what to expect. But that doesn't mean the audience won't have fun getting there. I liked this one more than the first. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" opens with the Joes in full swing during a secret mission to locate and disarm nuclear weapons in the hands of the enemy. While waiting for their convoy home, the Joes are ambushed and the remaining members vow to find out who is behind their betrayal. Roadblock (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona), and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) must enlist the help of the original G.I. Joe, General Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) to get back on the inside. On the other side of the world, returning characters Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) battle it out to stop Cobra's mission of world domination.Paramount's decision to hold the release of "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" in order to add a few more minutes of Duke (Channing Tatum) and to incorporate 3D was a wise choice. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" earns 2 1/2 stars.Kimberly Watkins, 37, Winter Haven